Slow Motion
by Acharya
Summary: For years Natsu has been hiding his true nature as an Omega; Lucy is the only person who understands. Now things are out of control and as much as he resists he may just need someone to save him from himself. Gray steps in out of necessity but with Natsu fighting him every step of the way is it actually worth the fight or would it be be better to let Natsu implode on his own terms.
1. Dynamics for the Growing Wizard

Don't own Fairy Tail or any of the characters herein.

Notes: Something I started before then took down to clean up. Unbetaed, so all mistakes are my own.

Excerpt from "Dynamics for the Growing Magic User'

In the world of magic there are those who work it innately and those who simply live in world shaped by it. Mages, Wizards, Witches...all names placed on those who work magic to some degree; within the society of magical users there are levels and while these levels do not dictate power level they do influence social standing and possibility to a degree.

The Levels are as followed

Alpha: The top of the dynamic ladder, thought to make up about 13% of the wizard population. A true Alpha will be strong and forceful in nature, always the dominant person in their relationships, able to command a room, demand respect, and lead when needed. They can been seen as cold and calculating, so in control it's almost unhealthy. They are known to be single minded and while others will always place faith in the Alpha the Alpha's greatest weakness will be faith in himself.

The Alpha will posses the ability to identify the 'status' of other Mage's based on scent alone. An Alpha will try to form familial bonds whenever possible, as they tend to not do well on their own or without a 'pack'. Alphas' rarely mate with alphas.

A surprisingly larger number of the worst atrocities in history have been committed by Alphas.

Beta: The second level of the ladder and most common; thought to make up 75% of the wizard population. Betas are well rounded with no inherent weakness or issues. They don't go into ruts like alphas do or into heats like gammas and omegas, and are capable of mating with any dynamic, including their own.

Gamma (Also called Lesser Omegas): The third level on the ladder and second most rare at 7% of the wizard population, a Gamma is the first step onto the submissive side of the spectrum. Natural followers and helpers. Those on the Dominate spectrum will find themselves drawn to Gammas and take comfort in their (usually) sunny and calming personality. Mild tempered, mild personalities...they make the perfect mate for just about any rung of the ladder.

A Gamma has none of the Alpha control and identification ability but will possess keen insight and observation skills, in most cases. They can sway people to their side not through command, but by request. The difference between an Omega and a Gamma lies in heat cycles; Gammas have a relatively mild heat in comparison to Omegas; with the use of birth control and suppressants Gammas are able to continue their usual day to day activities. Beyond this there is no notable difference and often Gammas will benefit from the same classes and training as Omegas participate in.

Gammas throughout history have often been pegged as manipulative and selfish, using their natural abilities to push events into their favor.

Will mate with alphas and betas and occasionally other gammas but rarely with omegas.

Omega: The fourth rung on the ladder and most rare dynamic at 5% of the wizard population, an Omega is on the most extreme end of the submissive spectrum. They are often emotional and prone to being driven not by logic but by their feelings, They have extreme highs and extreme lows and are considered forces of nature, sweeping up those around them and changing the world around them to suit their needs. An Omega on a rampage is all but unstoppable. As such they are perceived as volatile and dangerous (depending of magical power level) as well as weak minded and willed. They are the only 'protected' rung and as soon as their reach the age to go into heat a search for a proper mate will begin.

Unmated Omegas are, as they get older, prone to violent and self destructive behavior when they go into heat. For this reason it is suggested that Omegas mate early and without delay for their own well being..

Omegas rarely mate with other omegas.

Upon coming of age (Usually around the age of 11 or 12) a Mage will be assessed by their areas head of Status and informed of their status. Alphas, Betas, and Gammas will proceed about their lives as normal with only occasional classes to ensure that their natural gifts aren't abused or used improperly, where Omega's will be cataloged, marked, and placed into protection until a mate is found.


	2. Who I want to Take Me Home

Makarov shuffled through the pile of papers on his desk. The head of Status for Magnolia Town and the surrounding areas had assessed the latest group of mages, given his findings and gone about his way about an hour ago. Makarov was to make sure he was aware of the findings then send them off the council to be catalogued and proper action taken.

Proper action usually involved making sure he was aware of any classes and assessments that would be coming up and see to it that the young members of his guild made it to them. Eventually they'd get older and not need his reminders and with that all of his dealings with their romantic futures would end, which is a moment he looked forward to every time.

There was something very...creepy about how tightly the council controlled the mating futures of mages. It hadn't always been this way and he could understand, to a degree, why it was necessary. People had gotten hurt, natures had caused problems and friction, wars had literally be fought. But he wasn't sure this was the best alternative.

It was so very invasive, and yet accepted without question.

"You wanted to see me?" Natsu's voice broke him out of his thoughts. The pink haired boy-teenager- was standing in his doorway, looking very nervous. Natsu was ever the ball of energy, shifting from one foot to the other while his eyes darted around nervously.

"Come inside. Shut the door." Makarov said while making a gesture with his hand. Natsu did as told then, cautiously, stepped closer. Natsu always had a way of picking up the mood in a room, even when he had no idea what was actually going on. A natural empath, on top of his other considerably skills, perhaps. It wasn't uncommon in those of his dynamic. "The Status Head brought me your results."

Natsu flinched just slightly; Makarov noted the reaction but said nothing. The Status Head wasn't supposed to inform the young mages of their findings but then Natsu had a way of wheedling information out of those who weren't supposed to reveal it.

Dark eyes stared at him from behind a fringe of pink, pupil narrowing and becoming almost reptilian for a moment. Then the teen blinked, gaze suddenly becoming wet.

"I don't want to be an Omega!" The words burst forth, determined and hot. Natsu clenched his fists at his side and flames started to form, dancing around his hands.

So much emotion and power in one so young.

"I'm afraid it's not the sort of thing we get a choice in." Makarov said, trying to keep his tone soothing. He didn't enjoy this any more than Natsu was. He thought of all of the Guild members as his children, but perhaps Natsu more than some of the others. He remembered finding the boy, lost and alone and he remembered how he'd felt drawn to him immediately. He'd never really had any doubt that taking the pink haired child in was the best course of action; in a way there had been no other choice.

"NO!" Tears escaped, lingering for a moment on tan skin before turning to steam and hissing away. "I won't. I know about them. They're weak and the council hides them away and won't let them do anything. I won't! I'm strong! I'll be the strongest! Don't let them take me away!"

A dozen responses responses caught in Makarov's throat. He could tell him that the Omega Separation Act was for the safety of all Omegas, could lecture him about the battles that had been fought between young lust blinded Mages, could explain that as Natsu got older and the heat cycles began that things would become 'complicated', could tell him that being an Omega wasn't tantamount to weakness, even if that's how people made it seem.

But in the end he just looked down at the papers again.

 _Name: Natsu Dragneel_

 _Dynamic: Omega_

 _Suggestion: Immediate segregation_

 _Reasoning: Emotional, lacks control, displays no submissive tendencies. Fairy Tale is not known as an atmosphere that focuses on discipline, which is something that must begin to be instilled as soon as possible if a suitable mate is ever to be found. Very unlikely that with his present temperament that anyone would accept him as a bond partner._

He touched a finger to the paper and it burst into flame almost instantly. It was a bright flash, contained to only that sheet, and then nothing but a pile of ash remained.

Makarov had never really been the sort of man to allow rules and regulation to come between him and his family anyway, nor the sort to shy away from complication.

 **Some Years Later**

Lucy walked down the street, Plue dancing along the edge of the canal close by, and fingered her keys as she always did when she was feeling nervous. It was the third day of her Heat and she was feeling run down. She'd taken her scent suppressors, as every mage on the submissive spectrum but not interested in mating did, but even then her status as a gamma caused her issues.

It was close, so disturbingly close, to omega status that it scared her sometimes. She could see how at the crest of her Heat others would turn and look at her, eyes undressing and lingering over her openly, unable to divert their gazes.

She was the closest thing to an omega that was allowed to roam unattended these days and the reason was clear to her every cycle. If her phermones were stronger, her heat more intense, who was to say that all she could get is lingering glances? There were stories told of people being unable to control themselves and acting against omegas and even gammas.

Forced bonding was the whispered thing of nightmares. Lucy's heart clenched at the thought.

Even in the guild, where everyone prided themselves on their control and acceptance of all the statuses she could sense that some of the other unattached mages were tested by her presence, especially the alphas. Erza and Gray in particular, probably because of their constant proximity, seemed to be driven to distraction. This was her first cycle since Tenrou Island and she was starting to consider not longer spending them with the guild or taking jobs during it.

The longer she stayed unbonded the worse her heats would get and more pheromones her body would produce, seeking a bond mate that her mind had no desire for. Before they'd been frozen for seven years things had been fine but this...this was worse than she'd ever imagined it could be. The usual discomfort in her belly was full blown pain, she was hot and sweating, and her brain was hazy.

She'd always hated what she was. Her father had been so pleased, so eager to practically sell her to highest bidder. A woman like her, with her magic and her status was a prized commodity. Not as volatile as Omegas were supposed to be but with all the supposed gentle submissiveness. Gammas were the best mates, able to be bonded with all of the other levels. The perfect tool for her father. He'd had her magic assessed, had her checked for fertility and purity (much to her embarrassment) and advertised it for all potential suitors.

She was to be his best business deal yet.

Or so the man had liked to believe, but she'd shown him hadn't she?

The familiar anger was washed away by sadness. She was still angry about those things, so angry, but it the ache of her father's death was still there. Sometimes she read over his final letter to her, throat tight and tears streaming. She had run away, fighting to be her own woman, to be strong despite her dynamic, to be able to shove it into his face.

She would be no man's wife before she was ready and certainly no one's pretty submissive bargaining chip. Never. She was a Fairy Tail mage, she could command golden celestial keys...she would never be anything but what she wanted to be. This was what she'd wanted to show him but...he'd already known that, hadn't he?

She could understand now that she hadn't been a business deal, she'd been a daughter and he'd been scared for her. He'd wanted a good man from a good family to marry and care for her, as he'd done for her mother, and while that wasn't what Lucy had wanted in life she supposed it also wasn't the awful evil she'd thought it was.

Plue's worried cry broke her from her thoughts. She looked down at her companion then looked ahead of them. They'd just turned onto the street her apartment was located; she'd taken a detour at a bakery before coming home because she'd been in the mood for some pastry.

It seemed that her little side trip had given her friend Natsu time to beat her to her own place. She let out an alarmed cry as she hurried towards the pink haired man, who was currently in a heap before her door. Happy was at his side, tail swishing about is obvious agitation. The Exceed turned around when he heard Lucy's approach and flew at her, words spilling from his mouth.

"Lucy you have to help him! Master Makarov is gone and he won't go to anyone else!"

"What's wrong?" She'd reached Natsu and could see that her friend was pale and shaking so badly she could hear his teeth chattering. He was drenched in sweat and heat was coming off of him in waves. He was always warm, of course, but this...this was beyond that. It prickled her skin with it's intensity.

She instinctively reached out to touch him, thinking to rest her hand on his forehead to maybe check for a fever (though she wasn't sure such a thing was even possible for Natsu, or how she'd be able to tell); skin touched bare skin for a moment and even as she made to draw back from the almost burning heat the man was putting off Natsu's head snapped back and his mouth opened in a silent scream. Flames erupted, bursting forth from the dragon slayer's mouth and reaching for the sky.

"Gah!"

Lucy was yanked back and found herself pulled against something hard. And covered in a black jacket. She peeked up, panic momentarily forgotten, and stared at Loke's troubled face. The spirit wasn't paying much attention to her, even as he held her cradled in his arms, and was instead staring at Natsu very hard.

"Lucy!" Happy was suddenly in her field of vision, somehow managing to fit himself between her and Loke. "Are you okay? I didn't know that would happen! That's never happened. I don't know what's happening! What's happening!?"

Lucy extracted herself from Loke's powerful grip and turned back around to once again face Natsu. The flames had gone out as quickly as they had started, though there was a tell tale scorch mark on her door.

"We need to get him inside and get some water going in the tub. I'll bring him up. Cold water. And ice."

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Lucy hovered by the doorway, too worried to be embarrassed about what was happening in her bathroom. Loke was sitting in the rub, submerged up to his chest in icy water, with Natsu sitting between his legs and slumped against his chest. Loke had taken the time to strip Natsu down but had only shed his suit jacket and tie.

The spirit was talking to Natsu softly and running fingers through damp pink hair, words so soft that she couldn't hear what he was saying. Natsu had writhed and fought when he'd first hit the water but had calmed under Loke's attention, fight draining out of him until he was totally limp.

Whatever it was the spirit was saying seemed to have done the trick and for that Lucy was grateful; watching Natsu like this made her heart hurt.

On the other hand something about Loke's tone was sending unwanted shivers down her spine and heat pool in her stomach and she hated that. Kind of. Mostly hated it.

"How long has he been in heat?" Loke asked finally, voice all business. Happy made a distressed noise while settling on Lucy's shoulder.

"Natsu can't be in heat." Lucy said, squinting up at the spirit. Alpha's could only been brought into rut when they mated and Natsu was clearly NOT mating with anyone at the moment. Or at all, judging by how little interest he'd ever show in anyone. "He's an Alpha, they don't-"

"I know about Alphas. There is no one more Alpha than Leo." Loke looked back at her, grinning cheekily. She felt her face heat up and her stomach clench just a little as she looked away, unable to look him in the eye.

Stupid Loke.

She'd known that of course, had felt the way he seemed to literally smolder with the energy she associated with Alphas the minute he'd reclaimed his spot as Leo. She'd also noticed he never came out unless she called for him when she was in heat and she'd been silently appreciative.

Just as she affected Alphas they affected her. She couldn't pick up the scents like Alphas but still the presence of them could make her feel hot and flushed and as the heat reached its crest she found her inhibitions were...lowered. But the situation being what it was she found control wasn't as hard to maintain as it sometimes could be. Even with 'No one is more Alpha than Leo' Loke around.

"Natsu is no Alpha." Loke had his attention back to the man in question. "How long Happy?"

The exceed was quiet for a long moment then, quietly. "Since Lucy's started. He thinks...he thinks he's synched up with Lucy somehow. But-" And here the exceed's words became rushed and desperate "It's never been this bad. Normally he takes the suppressors and Master Makarov gives him a potion that keeps the Heat controlled but he broke the bottle and doesn't have a way to get more and it's just-"

Lucy reached up and pulled Happy into her arms, shushing him. Happy shuddered then buried his head into her chest and muffled sobbing noises were all that could be heard. Loke nodded and ran his hand over Natsu's head again.

"I'd guess he couldn't take the full heat after keeping it away so long and it caused a Heat Fever and magical backlash. Long term usage can do that; I bet being frozen for 7 years didn't help any, who knows how that may have screwed up with." Loke paused, staring at the top of Natsu's head intently. "Those things aren't really meant to be used non-stop like that. You're both what, almost 19 now? Too long."

Lucy made an annoyed noise. She knew all about the 'risks' posed by long term usages of the suppressants, had to undergo a lecture every time she refilled her prescriptions; she was risking heat fever, heat stupor, and her future fertility

It seemed, at times, that everything conspired against her, trying to force her to fit a mould she didn't want any part in. Even the medication that helped her would end up hurting her in the long run.

Find a mate or suffer.

She knew it all and certainly didn't need a lecture from one of her spirits about it, least of all fucking Loke.

"So Natsu's a gamma?" Lucy asked, shaking her head to dispel the bitter thoughts. "He's been pretending all this time. I don't know if I'm angry or impressed."

Natsu made a whining noise then one glassy dark eye peeked out from behind a curtain of pink. He looked so tired, so beaten down, so...not himself. Then he smiled, a small shivering thing. "omgea. be impressed."

"WHAT?"


	3. Tip Toe Higher

Slow Motion (See Me Let Go)

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Chapter Two

Tip Toe Higher

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Natsu woke up slowly, mind trapped in a confused haze, as he looked around. This wasn't his bed...in fact this wasn't even his place. Where was he? Bright. Warm. Cheerful. Well coordinated...must be Lucy's apartment.

Well waking up at the blond's place was far from a rare occurrence. In fact it was so common lately she'd managed to (somehow) save up some jewel and buy him his own cot for right in front of the fireplace. He smiled faintly as he remembered the pleased look on Lucy's face when she'd presented to him ("You practically live here Natsu and, even if you don't help with rent, you shouldn't sleep on the floor!") and her surprised squeal of laughter when he'd wrapped her into a fierce hug.

He had so many amazing friends, so close that they were his family, but Lucy stood out among them all. She'd saved him when he'd had heat fever, accepted him even though he'd been lying to her the entire time they'd known each other, and now she kept him from tipping over the edge again.

He rubbed a hand over his face then stretched. He'd here for two days and hadn't left since arriving. He wouldn't leave until the heat passed, same as it always was. The heats lingered now, outlasting Lucy's and threatening to drag him under each time but...he persevered. Being here, closed in and away from others, helped a lot.

Happy grumbled next to him then turned over, burrowing further into the pillow. Natsu considered waking up his friend then, eyes turned to the window, decided against it. The sun was just starting to rise and the exceed wasn't all the pleasant if you woke him up too early. He rolled off of the cot carefully then shuffled towards the kitchen, scratching his chest absently. His muffler was already in place, he supposed he'd been too out of it last night bother with more than taking off his shirt.

A collection of empty bottles of wine and two glasses sat on the table, telling him that his assessment was probably correct. He did a lot of drinking when he was in heat lately, probably too much, but he found it was the only thing he could do to keep the edge off of things anymore.

The potion he'd been using since his first heat wasn't having the same effect; it took more and more just to make it through the day and he couldn't afford to continue taking more and more. Loke had stated, rather blandly, that Natsu was more likely to kill himself than anything with the potion at this point.

So wine it was at night; it numbed him from the inside out.

He'd tried to sleep at his own place the night the heat had hit him but he'd found it too enclosed, too small, too _hot_ and he'd been unable to breathe. He'd walked around the town, Happy floating behind him tiredly, before finding himself outside of Lucy's place. He'd climbed up and inside to find the woman sitting at her kitchen table, wine bottle and glasses out and his cot already set up.

" _It's that time again." She had her elbows on the table and her chin cradled in her hands, leaning forward just slightly. She was in a pink nightgown and one frilly strap was sliding down her shoulder, but she seemed oblivious, and her hair was loose. "I expected you earlier."_

" _I tried sleeping at home. I didn't want to bother you." He took the seat across from her, smiling when she let out an offended huff. "Hey, you never know. Maybe Loke was planning to pay you a visit."_

" _WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!" Lucy was on her feet in a flash, hand coming up to point at Natsu, so close that her index finger was almost touching his nose. He glanced sideways at Happy, who'd taken a seat on the table._

" _It means Loke likes youuuu!" Happy said in a sing-song voice._

 _The blond growled and her expression went dark. Natsu started to put a hand up to defend against the punch he knew was coming but rather abruptly Lucy backed off, eyes flicking to the side. He followed her gaze, catching sight of her key ring hanging from the back of her chair. Leo's key hung in the front, shining brightly. Lucy was silent for a moment then her cheeks went pink before she sat back down, making another huffing noise._

" _Maybe I'll just toss all of you out, Loke included." She didn't seem inclined to actually follow through on that thread, opting instead to start pouring the wine._

 _They sat in silence, drinking to the bottom of the bottle. Most of it was Natsu but then it always was. She watched with tiredly worried brown eyes but said nothing. Just another night like many they'd spent together during this time. Every 8 weeks they were both affected by The Heat, cycles having synched up at some point in their friendship, and so they sat together, a surly omega and his equally sour gamma friend. Lucy was one of three people who knew his secret and perhaps the only one who really understood his desire to deny what he was._

 _He could still acutely recall that night, soaking wet in Lucy's tub and the way she'd been looking down at him, mouth drawn into a frown that wasn't pity but rather understanding. They were the same._

 _There, sitting in icy water, practically curled up in Loke's lap and benefiting from the Alpha's presence (and hating himself for it) and so tired he could feel it in his bones, he'd confessed the whole story. How Makarov had protected him, lied to the council and 'convinced' the Status Head to forget all about labeling Natsu an Omega. He'd told her about the potion and how it suppressed the heat, turning the constant burning inside him to a dull annoying ache like what gamma's dealt with, and how he'd been pretending to be an alpha ever since._

 _He took suppressors (And not just when the heat hit, but all the time) and had spent a lot of time teaching himself to not be affected by Alphas._

 _All in all he made due. No one suspected, not even those closest to him. He was still loud, brash Natsu just like he'd always been; it was an image he'd worked very hard to keep in place but was suddenly crumbling around him. He was losing it, really losing it. That first heat after getting back from the island had been unexpected and it had crashed into him full force. He'd dropped the stupid potion in a fit of tremors and everything had fallen apart from there. He'd been out of his head for the first two days, totally incoherent according to Happy, and in a moment of lucidity he'd basically crawled to Lucy's, hoping she could help._

 _Lucy had reacted...well, as she always did. Loudly and violently, smacking him soundly for daring to lie to her of all people, as if she'd tell his secret. She'd pouted for a little bit as well but eventually they'd found themselves around the table, Natsu sharing some of the many stories about hiding his nature while Loke flirted shamelessly with both of them._

And so it had been ever since. He hauled himself over to Lucy's, they talked and drank and then he'd pass out.

Natsu picked up the glasses and took them to the sink, intending to wash them before Lucy woke up. She'd appreciate it, he was sure.

He turned on the water, mind drifting a little. The symptoms of the heat were starting to surge up again, as they would every morning for the next day or two. He could have some reprieve while he slept and right after waking up but soon enough he'd find himself in the same situation. Heat in his belly, but not the comforting kind that came from fire. No, this was an uncomfortable oppressive heat that twisted his insides. A pressure would form on his chest like someone was pressing down on him, he'd start sweating and losing focus, get emotional and depressed...and that was just the start.

He wouldn't be able to deal with the scent of others let alone the touch. His body demanded that he do things...things he wanted no part of and the only solution was to hide until the urges passed. He'd spent years pretending to be an alpha; all the proper actions, the proper classes. He covered his scent carefully and his own enhanced senses allowed him to mimic the alpha traits pretty well. He had hidden what he was perfectly from the outside world but in the end his body betrayed him every cycle, reminding him of the truth.

"Good morning Natsu." Lucy's sleep thickened voice called out. He looked over his shoulder to see a wet haired blond, dressed in sweats and a tshirt, shuffling out of her bedroom. A towel sat around her shoulders and she was rubbing at her eyes, clearly still tired. "Did I wake you?"

"Nope." He made a show of looking behind her into her bedroom. "No Loke?"

He knew the spirit visited to watch over Lucy and, he strongly suspected but couldn't prove, to watch after him as well. Sometimes he'd come and sit with them, laughing and teasing. Sometimes he showed while they were sleeping and just sat around, watching them like a total creeper. Some mornings Loke would come out of the bedroom after Lucy, all smiles. At first Natsu had thought...well he'd thought all kinds of things that had made him unable to look either in the eye. But now he knew Loke just watched but never made a move.

There was no doubt in Natsu's mind that the spirit intended to try and claim Lucy at some point but for now the lion seemed content to wait it out. The idea of Loke, an alpha, wanting to mate with his best friend should have made him angry (would have had it been anyone else) but he knew that the spirit liked Lucy as she was and had no desire to try and force her into the role she and Natsu both dreaded.

Being Loke's mate wouldn't mean giving up the guild and her job or friends. She wouldn't become a broodmare or housewife. She'd be Lucy, Celestial Mage and Fairy Tail wizard, until she decided she wanted to set those titles aside. That knowledge made Natsu happy for them.

Loke was a rare sort of alpha, really. No serious posturing or attempts to put lesser dynamics in their place. No apparent desire for control.

Lucy sometimes whined about Loke's 'invasion of privacy and random coming and going' but Natsu was pretty sure she actually enjoyed it. They were in the delicate fledging stage of a courtship, even if Lucy seemed oblivious or thought it was all teasing.

Loke seemed to be absent this morning though. Either he hadn't been by at all or he'd left already; he did like to claim that Lucy and Natsu together were enough to drive any celestial being to doing unforgivable things.

The thought of what kind of things the spirit might be considering made Natsu as breathless as it made him furious. Stupid perverted alpha cat. Stupid body. Stupid heats.

'NO!" Lucy sputtered, face turning red. "Why do you assume he'd be here?"

"Because Loke likes yoouuuuu." Happy's small sleepy voice called from the cot.

Lucy stomped over to her pantry, occasionally tossing dark looks over her shoulder in the direction of the feline. She pulled out a few things then headed towards the icebox, retrieving eggs and berries. Natsu took out a large bowl and spoon then met her at the table.

They had their little rituals at this point. Lucy made breakfast, he'd attempt to throw together lunch, and Lucy would order dinner. They had gone out together at first but he had lost his ability to do so when the potion's effect started waning. His pills kept his scent under control, yes, but the potion was what made the heat bearable and kept him from losing his cool when he was around other people.

Lucy wasn't much better these days. Before Tenrou she'd been able to keep up her day to day activities even during her heat but after the time jump they'd both found themselves suffering.

No, they had to stay here in their little nest, like a pair of crazy hermits.

Lucy nudged him lightly. It sent pleasant tingles up his arm but he stamped the feeling down quickly; outwardly he only offered a small smile. Lucy he could stand to be around but sometimes he wondered if soon even that would change.

"You don't look so good. I know it's not a hangover-"

Natsu smiled toothily. "Dragonslayers don't get hangovers."

That wasn't strictly true but he certainly didn't get them as easily as Lucy did.

She just rolled her eyes while pouring milk into the bowl. "Yes yes, almighty dragonslayers blahblahblah. So. What's wrong? Crack eggs please."

The same thing that was always wrong of course. The heats were getting worse, always worse, and it was draining him. Instead he reached over and tugged a lock of her hair. "Just didn't sleep well."

"I wish you would talk to Master Makarov." Lucy sighed and ducked away from him, hair slipping between his fingers. It was smooth, like silk, and his fingers tingled pleasantly. For a moment he felt the urge to reach back out and touch her again.

He stamped that down too.

His response would be the same as it always did when they had this talk; that there was no point in talking to Gramps because the old man would just fuss and worry while telling him that he couldn't find a stronger elixir or let Natsu take anymore than he was already taking. He'd give him that sad look and once again point out that Fairy Tail was full of respectable wizards who'd happily court Natsu and, in fact, there were even a few alphas he knew very well (Gramps always went for that line of discussion towards the end, eyebrows raised. Omegas were always more drawn to alphas above betas and gammas and 'meshed' with them the best. Natsu should have felt that draw.)

Fairy Tail did have a higher than average number of alpha wizards and all of them cared for Natsu in their own unique ways; he was very aware of that. Erza, Gray, Gajeel, Cana, Freed, Laxus, Mira and Gildarts (not that Natsu, even at his worst, would ever consider Gildarts or Mira. That was just beyond disgusting. And Gajeel...well Levy would probably have something to say about that) and Gramps was sure one or two of them would give a courtship serious thought if he approached them.

Natsu of course wasn't going to be courted by anyone at any point. He was no submissive omega who needed his hand hold and nose wiped by some so-called dominate wizard. He would never allow someone to make his choices, tell him where to go, and what to do.

Not that he'd never *ever* considered it. Did he think any of the wizards in his guild would consciously force him to change? No, not really, but that didn't change what they might instinctually try to do. They all, even Erza and Gray, were stereotypical alphas. Tightly controlled, regimented, demanding…they bent people to their will without realizing they were doing it.

He wanted no part of that.

He was in control of his own fate and always would be. ...well. Would be until it become too much to take and his body fell into a heat coma he'd never wake from, or everything he'd ever read had claimed.

He would have told her all of that except his train of thought was completely derailed by a knock on the door. Lucy, was standing over the stove now and carefully pouring batter to make pancakes jumped then whirled around, eyes wide in surprise.

No one ever came by when she was in Heat, ever. They sent messages sometimes and on one occasion Erza had stood outside her window, shouting up about a mission they'd be leaving on as soon as Lucy was able, but no one actually came up to the apartment. She was, after all, an unbonded Gamma who was nearly on Omega and practically dripped with pheromones during her heat. It was just easier for everyone if they left her alone.

It was also easier for Natsu to hide out at her place, because who would look for him here? He was, after all, an alpha just as affected by Lucy as everyone else.

Another knock, this time loud and urgent, and the blond turned wide brown eyes on him. He blinked dumbly, brain having ground to a total halt. Then one singular thought: Bedroom!

Right. He'd hide in Lucy's bedroom!

He started for the girl's room but too late, the front door swung over with a bang and the familiar sign of cracking wood. Lucy moaned, a drawn out pained noise, and took a halting step towards the door which now hung crookedly from the top hinge

Erza stood in the doorway, great sword in hand. Furtive eyes darted around, taking in everything quickly, then turned confused.

"Natsu? What are you doing here? And where is your shirt?"

00000000000

I became deeply amused by Natsu's stubbornness towards the end there, as he reflects on Gramps telling him he should consider approaching one of the Fairy Tail wizards and starting a courtship. All Natsu can think is 'I don't want to be courted' while totally missing that the suggestion is that *he* does the courting.


	4. When You Play The Game

When You Play the Game

Lucy looked at Natsu, who was still very much deer in the headlights and offering no answer for the redhead's questions. This was bad, very bad, on at least a hundred different but increasingly awful levels.

Lucy was going to have to be the one to stand up and act!

"My door!" She wailed,one hand balling into a fist and coming up to her trembling lips. The other hand ran over her keys until it felt the familiar shape of Leo then wrapped around it. It was warm to the touch and she could feel a calm come over her.

Lucy collapsed to her knees and began to sob, loudly, but kept her eyes cracked open to see if her gambit was working.. Erza's sword vanished, leaving the older girl standing there, hands awkwardly at her side.

"Lucy, please don't-"

Perfect. There wasn't wasn't an alpha in the world who would stand before her 'Lucy Cry'! "I can't afford to fix that Erza! You busted it off the bottom hinge! What's my landlady going to say? She's going to kill me!"

Erza's eyes were wide and panicked. She took a step back from the door, putting herself further away as if the distance would act as a buffer. "I'll replace it!"

"You promise?" Lucy sniffled then looked up at the older girl, widening her eyes as much as she could. The redhead nodded shakily. Satisfied with that she rubbing her eyes, swiping away the wetness there. "Okay. So. What did you need?"

"Need?" Erza actually looked momentarily confused then shook her head as if to clear it. "We need you, now. A caravan carrying some protected wizards went missing on it's way to a council facility. Last report had them staying at an inn a little ways from here. We know it's 'that time' for you but we can't wait and almost everyone else is out on jobs.."

That was surprising, but also not really. Erza, Gray, and Wendy tended to not take on any hard jobs during her (and Natsu's) heat, so of course they would all be around. Lucy bounced to her feet, fingers rubbing over Loke's key anxiously.

This was bad. Or at least had potential to be bad. She had stopped going out when Natsu had started sharing heats with her. With suppressants she could dampen her scent, yes, but she wasn't sure she could take being around people or the constant gnawing ache inside of her. But she'd try, of course, people were in danger. What else could she do?

But Natsu...Natsu had to drink himself stupid just to sleep. Dimming his scent would be the least of his issues but she knew that wouldn't deter him. He'd go out anyway. He'd drive himself into another heat fever, willingly, if he thought it would save someone's life.

"Of course. I'll get ready now. We'll meet you at the guildhall?"

"Train station in thirty minutes.." Erza said. "We'll meet our employers after the ride."

As soon as Erza was gone Loke emerged from his realm, taking in the scene. Lucy's door was lying forlornly from only one hinge, Lucy was standing near the door and worrying her bottom lip between her teeth and Natsu had collapsed into a chair and looked shell shocked. Loke could smell the panic and worry rolling off of the two of them, turning their usually pleasing scents sour.

He needed to fix this, to protect them. They were his, his gamma and his omega, and they were distressed and it was his duty to sooth their concerns.

"Why are you two just standing around? We've got people to rescue." He made a hurry up motion with his hands.

Lucy jerked in surprise then nodded absently and made for her bedroom; Natsu just groaned and slammed his head against the table with an alarming crack. Loke winced but left the Dragon Slayer as he was, trusting that Happy would get him moving. And if not he'd deal with the pinkette next; but for now Lucy was his first concern.

The celestial wizard was behind her changing screen (she'd invested in the item shortly after realizing that privacy was a luxury she'd never have as a member of Fairy Tail) and he leaned against the doorframe, careful to look away. She's throw a fit if she peered out and caught him looking, a lesson he may have learned the hard way.

He liked that about her; he'd known a lot of wizards in his time but none like Lucy. She was a strange woman; brazen but shy, sweet but blunt, kind but a fierce fighter in her own right.

"Are you coming with us?"

He let his thoughts of the puzzle that was his master fall away. "Of course. I wouldn't be much of an alpha is I just let you two run off unattended."

He would practically hear her scowling. "You are not anyone's alpha."

Not officially, no, but he felt the alpha pull to the two young mages in spite of that.

"I wouldn't be much of a friend either." Was the response he settled on. Lucy made an annoyed noise, followed by the rustle of the screen being pushed back into place.

He finally looked in her direction, finding her in a short red skirt and matching tank top. Her hair was pulled up and secured with a red ribbon, just brushing against bare shoulders. He smiled wanly, wondering if she noticed how she strayed towards more 'striking' colors when she was in heat.

Probably not. It was all subconscious, a hidden urge to be noticed, to stand out, and show off her best assets. Not that he was any better or less driven by his urges. She and Natsu claimed to be slaves to their natures, bemoaned their fates and fought against themselves with every breath the took, but it wasn't as if being an alpha affording him any more control of his nature and actions.

After all, did he not watch the apartment at night, keeping an eye on these two and in fact keep watch even from the Celestial Realm during the day? Had he not not found himself absurdly angry and growling when Erza had kicked in the door of what he considered his territory? Had he not wanted to cross over and challenge the redhead and make the fact that Lucy and Natsu were *his* known?

"You look nice." He smiled at Lucy.

Her cheeks pinkened. "Shut up". She shoved past him, body brushing against his and it took everything he had not to reach out and pull her closer. Her scent teased him when she was this close; cool and sweet, like grass after the rain. The sour note was fading, replaced with something bright and pleasing.

The blond began tossing items into a bag, hmming softly as she considered certain articles of clothing then turning pink and glaring as a lacy bra appeared and was tossed inside the bag then shoved to the bottom with unnecessary force. He managed to not laugh at the show of modesty.

He moved back when she was done, needing to maintain some distance. He'd it was easier when her scent was mingled in the air with Natsu's, making it harder to distinguish the individual elements. When it was just her it was temption given form, but with the two of them together he could settle into a more cautious and protective state. Natsu didn't cause the 'mate. bite. need' response in him like Lucy did but rather a feeling of 'pride. family.'

She walked back into the kitchen and reached into the cupboard she kept her suppressors in. Small jade green pills that, at least to Loke's nose, smelled like horse crap. She wrinkled her nose but swallowed two down dry.

Natsu was pacing the room, face dark and looking every inch the predator waiting for its prey. Happy was curled up on Natsu's head, snoring softly and apparently undisturbed by the tension around Dragon Slayer reminded Loke a lot of himself; dangerously close to his inner beast but also painfully human. The pink haired teen caught his eye and offered a bitter smile, lips pulled back just enough to show a hint of dragon sharp teeth.

Natsu was headed for an explosion on of these days. Potions and suppressors wouldn't keep the bubbling pot of emotion and power under control forever. Loke was pretty sure that, ironically enough, it was Natsu's tight control of his nature that pushed him so close to the edge every heat cycle. He was trying to put out a grease fire with water and just causing it to spread a little more each time.

He walked over to the Dragon Slayer, noting that he must have already have taken his pills. His scent was dulling, turning from an intriguing spicy heat to a dull noteless nothingness. Natsu's dose, provided by the guild master, didn't just turn down the scent like Lucy's did. Rather they wiped it out and scrubbed it away, leaving a strange void.

He didn't care for it and in hindsight he wondered how he'd never been alarmed by Natsu's strange empty scent when he'd been pretending to be a human. It was like a constant itch, just out of reach, constantly there and bothering him.

He touched Natsu's arm lightly. "Relax."

Natsu's fist clenched at his side then opened. Clench, unclench, clench. Finally. "I feel like something bad is going to happen."

"So stay." Lucy's voice was soft but insistent. "Don't go Natsu. I'll tell Erza you're sick."

The dragon slayer growled, a low rumble that stroked at Loke's protective nature. He wanted to sooth the younger man, to protect him. Natsu wouldn't appreciate that much, so he just squeezed his shoulder lightly then flashed both of the teens a smile.

"Let's get going. Who knows what kind of sexy damsels may be in distress, waiting to be rescued."

Lucy sniffed in annoyance but Natsu looked at him, a mischievous glint in his eyes. The sourness in the air was totally gone now; perhaps a product of the suppressants taking effect but Loke liked to think it was his considerable charms.

"You're coming? Staying out, I mean? Aren't you tired after watching us sleep last night?"

Loke flashed them both his biggest most shameless smile. "Not to worry. Lucy's got more than enough power for me to borrow a little if I start having a hard time staying out under my own magic. It's not like watching you took that much out of me, really."

Lucy made a squawking noise. "You were really watching us sleep?"

"Of course." He schooled his expression into one of confusion. "So?"

"So? It's WEIRD!" Lucy looked scandalized. "You really are some kind of perverted cat aren't you?"

He shrugged. Lucy was fuming but Natsu was laughing and that made the hell the blond was going to give him well worth it. She started waving her arms and pointing, informing him of how awful he was; Natsu sidled away to his bag and, after a moment of rummaging, emerged with a small bottle of blue syrupy fluid.

Loke's humor vanished; Natsu's potion smelled even worse than the suppressants did; something like rotting flesh and *wrong*. Lucy followed his gaze then sighed. She didn't like it any more than he did and as far as he could tell Natsu had been forgoing the potion, simply powering through his heat during the day and drinking at night.

Loke was pretty sure that stuff was just setting Natsu up for an even greater explosion when it finally happened.

"I'm hoping that going with you two will eliminate the need for that." Loke frowned at Natsu's bland look. "I know I'm not *your* alpha but you've responded to me before. I think I can keep the two of you from having any...incidents."

He hoped. They were both strong and while Lucy responded to him more readily he was pretty sure he could handle Natsu as well. During their heats their magic raged inside of them, looking around and threatening to cause the backlash that could lead to fever or coma or even death (Heat Death was supposed to be awful; the mage's magic turned totally against them and attacked them, destroying them from the inside out.) but an alpha could share the magic, bringing it down to acceptable levels.

He did it for Lucy often without her realizing it and he'd done it for Natsu in the tub and a time or two since. Bleeding Lucy's magic off through their link without her noticing was easy, and felt so right it made him ache every time, but doing so for Natsu took actual physical contact so he'd only had opportunities when the dragon slayer was too out of it to protest.

On a totally selfish level Loke didn't mind the power infusions.

Dark eyes gleamed at him, more dragon than human for a moment. Then Natsu stuck his finger into the bottle, gathering up the sticky blue goop and then shoving his finger into his mouth. His eyes were bright and defiant, daring Loke to to say something.

The spirit just rolled his eyes. "You're an idiot. It doesn't hurt me any if you put that shitty tasting gunk in your mouth."

Erza was out on the street and a few blocks away before her head cleared and she felt like she could breathe again. She stopped, putting a head to her forehead, and stared at the cobblestone path hard while collecting her thoughts. When she'd knocked down Lucy's door she'd felt like she'd been hit in the face with a brick almost instantly; the wave of pheromones that had rolled out had swept her up and dulled her brain before she could steel herself against it.

It was foolish of her to not have been prepared; even under the effects of suppressors Lucy's scent was strong when she was in heat so it was only natural that while shut in her apartment with no dampening agents or way to get out that it would be that much stronger.

But. Even with that in mind...it was strange. Erza was no untrained or low level alpha, she shouldn't have been reduced to a stuttering mess like that. After the initial wave she should have been able to push past it and collect herself; Lucy was only one gamma after all, but it had been so overwhelming, so oppressive, like a tidal wave,

Natsu hadn't seemed…Natsu!

She'd forgotten all about the pink haired teen in the face of Lucy's tears (An underhanded trick if she'd ever seen one, by the way. She's always known Lucy had an ability to sway people, usually with her looks or figure, but never had it been turned on her before) What had he been doing in Lucy's apartment, and half dressed at that?

Were they courting?

Erza shook her head, dismissing the thought as quickly as she thought it. No, the scent in that apartment had been pure unbonded submissive, not the more tempered scent of one in the midst of courting. Besides if that had been the case Natsu wouldn't have let another alpha anywhere near Lucy without taking it as a threat to his Intended.

Just sleeping together then?

That would explain where Natsu always went to when Lucy was in heat; he'd say something about 'Dragon Slayer meditation' then vanish, reappearing a day or two after Lucy's heat was over. She'd thought it was strange but then Natsu was strange.

There was the distinct smell of alpha in Lucy's apartment, a bright and powerful musk that invoked thoughts of heat and arid land in her mind. It had been faint, just barely making it through the heady submissive scent, but it had been there. Logic said it must have been Natsu but, up until that point, he had never had a scent. Well he had one, but it was oddly neutral, not giving any hint to his nature.

Strange but, again, Natsu was just about the strangest person she knew.

It wasn't adding up to her. Strange alpha scent. Natsu's presence while Lucy was in heat but his lack of action to defend here. The strong scent that had been bottled up in there, powerful enough to cloud even her mind. The way Lucy had gone out of her way to add to that cloud, appealing to Erza's alpha nature to get her away as soon as possible.

Something was going on, and she was going to find out what. After this mission, of course.

Priorities.


End file.
